Automobile-truck.



'0. YOUNGS.

AUTOMOBILE TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY28, I914.

Patehted Jan. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

amomkw c. YOUNGS.

AUTOMOBILE TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 19M.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Q Snow Ito; a

um/1444 s COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH (20., WASHINGTON, D. C

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creates rev es.

,O-F WELLSVILLE, NEW YORK. I

AUTOMOBILE-TRUCK.

To all whom it may concern 0 Be 1t known that I, CHARLES YOUNGS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident,

below the axle .of a vehicle, the end of said vehicle may be elevateduntil its wheels are clear of the floor. In this position the entireweight of that end of the vehicle rests upon the wheels of the truck andone is thus .enabled to move the same about at will.

My invention consists of a truck of the construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanvin-g drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my truckillustrating its application. Fig. 2 is a. rear elevation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view, partly insection. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section. Figs. 26, 7 and 8 aredetails.

In the drawings, 1 represents the body portion of my truck which, in itspreferred form, comprises an inclined base plate 2 having reinforcingflanges 3 formed'integral therewith. The rear portion of these flanges 3are sufficiently separated from each other to afford suitable bearingsforthe axle 4 upon which are mounted the supporting wheels 5; whiletheir forward portions 3 (Fig. 4:) are brought comparatively closetogether, thus serving in conjunction with an extension 6 of the baseplate 2 to form a receiving pocket 7 for an end of the tongue ;8.. Thatpart of the base plate 2 included between the rear portion of theflanges '3 maybe cut away, as shown, for reasons which will hereinafterappear. .It will be noted that the extension 6 is not in the same planewith the base plate'2, butis bent therefrom in a direction approximatingthe horiz ontal.

The pocket 7 is made 1118i] large enough to receive the end of thetongue 8 and is .pro

specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented an. 4, i916.

Application filed May 28.1914, Serial No. 841,504.

vided at its opposite sides with grooves 10 for receiving the U-bolt 9which passes'about the tongue and thence up through the extension 6.This U+bolt is provided with .nuts 11 by means of which'the same may bedrawn up tight against the bottom of the tongue thus holding the tonguesecurely in position against the under face of the extension 6' of thebase plate.

The base plate 2 is further provided on its opposite edges with a pairof longitudinally extending, upwardly projecting portions 12 which serveas guidesfor the slidable plate 13 mounted therebetween. Upon the topface of each of these projecting portions is securely fastened a plate14 overhanging the inner edge thereof. These are for the purpose ofmaintaining the plate 13 in position against the base plate. At a pointa little. to the rear of the center of this plate 13-is mounted astandard 15 which is preferably made integral therewith, the connectingweb 16 acting as a reinforcement for the same. This, standard isprovided with a vertical,

screw-threaded recess 17 which, as illustrated,'. may extend completelythrough plate 13.

The vehicle engaging member comprises a cunrved plate 18 with asupportingshank 19 secured thereto. The plate 18 is provided order thatit may partially embrace the under side of the axle of a vehicle, whilethe shank 19 is screw-threaded to engage the threads in the recess'17Iof standard'15. It

with a concave upper surface, as shown,-in

is preferable that these threads be of such a pitch as will allow theshank 19 to be turned through a considerable angle without materiallyaffecting the elevation of the plate 1 8. Thus it' will be seen that Ihave provided'not only aslidable support for the vehicle engagingmember'but a pivotal support as well.

The tongue 8 is preferably formed of a hollow cylindrical tube in orderthat the adjusting means may be contained therein. TlllS' ad ust1ngmeans comprlses a rotatable screw 20, a sleeve 21 mounted thereon, and

.a medium 22 for connecting the sleeve with the slidableplate 13. Thescrew is mounted within the tubular tongue by means of'a. sleeve 23 inwhich it is journaled." This sleeve 23 is of a diameter'equal' to theinterior diameter of the tongue 8 and is pro.- vided with an annularshoulder 24"which abuts against the end of the tongue. Sleeve .is heldin place on the screw by means of a pin 25 passing therethrough and ashoulder 26 on the crank handle 27, which handle is made fast to thescrew and constitutes the means for turning it.

The cross handles 28 have reduced portions adapted o be screwed throughsuitable holes in the tongue 8 and thence into recesses in the sleeveprovided therefor. In this manner the sleeve is securely held inposition in the end of the tongue.

Sleeve 21 is of suliicient diameter to allow a sliding lit within thetongue 8, one of its ends, however, being reduced to form a shoulder 30(Figs 6, 7 and 8) for engagement with the cable 22. This sleeve isprovided with three lioles extending longitudinally therethrough, thelarger central hole 31 being threaded to engage the threads on the screw20 while the other holes 32 (Fig. 6) are merely to permit the passage ofthe cable 22. A small screw 33 is set into the side of the sleeve and isadapted to slide in a longitudinal. slot 34 in the under side of thetongue, thus preventing the turning of the sleeve within the tongue butallowing it to be moved longitudinally thereof.

Mfember is preferably a stiff wire cable but it is obvious that I mayuse a chain or any other suitable means for connecting sleeve 21 withthe slidable plate 13. This cable is threaded through the holes 32 inthe sleeve, the loop, thus formed, engaging the shoulder 30. From thencethe cable is drawn through the tubular tongue 8, over the pulley 35mounted on and between the aforesaid flanges 3, through suitableapertures leading to the rear edge of the slidable plate 13, and thencealong a groove 37 formed on the edge of a curved projection 38, its freeends being secured together by any appropriate means such as indicatedat 39.

In the application of my device, the truck is tilted downward by raisingthe tongue 8 and is thrust under the axle of the vehicle, the plate 18engaging the under part of the axle midway of its end. Then the tongue 8is forced downward, thus compelling the vehicle engaging member 18 to beraised and thereby raising the front end of the vehicle clear of theground so that the truck may be used as the means of turning theautomobile in lieu of-the front wheels. In the event that the vehicleengaging member is too high or too low, its elevation may be changed bturning the same, or the crank handle 27 may be worked to move thevehicle engaging member up or down in its inclined guideway. In factthis last operation may be accom plished either before or after thetruck is in position under the axle of the automobile.

The foregoing is merely a description of a single embodiment of myinvention in its preferred form and it is obvious therefore that changesand modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritof my invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims appendedhereto.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An automobile truck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels andhaving an inclined support, a member slidably mounted on said inclinedsupport, a vehicle ing member adjustably supported by said slidablemember whereby said vehicle ing member may be raised or lowered withrespect to the slidable member, and means for adjusting the position ofsaid slidable member 'on said inclined support whereby said engagingmember is elevated.

2. An automobiletruck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels andhaving a support inclined in its normal working position, a vehicleengaging member slidably mounted on said inclined support, a tonguesecured to said body portion, and means positioned near the free end ofsaid tongue and operable independently of the tongue for causing theengaging member to slide on the inclined support.

3. An automobile truck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels andprovided with an inclined guideway, a member slidably mounted in saidguideway and provided with a threaded recess, a vehicle engaging memberprovided with a shank threaded to engage the threads in said recess,means for adjusting the position of said slidable member in saidguideways, and means for tilting said body portion.

4. An automobile truck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels andprovided with an inclined guideway; a vehicle engag ing member slidablymounted in said guideway; a hollow tongue secured to said body portion;a screw rotatably fixed within said tongue; a non-rotatable sleevemounted on and engaging said screw; means connecting said sleeve withsaid vehicle engaging member; and means for turning said screw.

5. An automobile truck comprising a carriage mounted on wheels andprovided with an inclined guideway; a member slidably mounted in saidguideway; a vehicle engaging member pivotally mounted on said slidablemember; and a tongue for tilting said carriage provided with means formoving the slidable member in said guideway.

6. An automobile truck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels; atongue secured to said body portion an inclined guideway on said bodyportion; a member slidably mounted in said guideway; a vehicle engagingmember pivotally mounted on said slidable member; and means within saidtongue for adjusting the position of the slidable n1ember.

7. An automobile truck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels andprovided with an inclined guideway; a member slid member with theslidable engaging member.

7 8. An automobile truck comprising a body portion mounted on wheels andprovided with an inclined guideway; a member slidably mounted in saidguideway; a vehicle engaging member pivotally mounted on said slidablemember; a hollow tongue secured to said body portion; a screw rotatablyfixed within said tongue; a non-rotatable sleeve mounted on and engagingsaid screw; means connecting said sleeve with said slidable member; andmeans for turning said screw. In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES YOUNGS. Witnesses:

JESSE L. GRANTIER, J. B. MURRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe f Commissioner of Patents,

' -Washington, D. G.

